Bedstead-bail



UNTTED sTATEs PATENT Nermee.

CHAS. ROBINSON, OF OAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

BEDSTEAD-RAIL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 20,092-, dated April 27, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES ROBINSON, of Cambridgeport, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulElastic-Support Bedstead- Rail; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, Figure lbeing a plan of a bed-frame in which my improvement is applied; Fig. 2,a vertical section thereof in the plane indicated by the line a; as,Fig. l; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the improved rail, showing also theends of the slats for supporting the bed; Fig. 4, a vertical section inthe plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. l.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My improved elasticsupport rail may compose the rail of the bedsteadproper; or it may be separate, so as to be placed upon, or attached to,the ordinary rails of the bedstead, and removable, at pleasure; or itmay compose part of a bed frame, to be placed on the bedstead, for thereception of the bed, as represented in the drawings. In either case, orhowever applied, its construction and operation are the same.

The rail is composed of three constituent parts, which, being combined,completely accomplish the objects desired. rI`he part A., (which may becalled the rail proper,) is made of a beam or strip of wood, of suitabledimensions, in the upper edges of which are formed notches a, a., atproper distances apart to receive the ends of the slats for supportingthe bed, with intermediate projections b, 79, as shown in Figs. 3, and4. The tops of the projections are rounded, as represented, and are allof the same, or nearly the same, height. Over these projections is drawnstraight, and sufficiently taut for the purpose required, an elasticband B, which forms another constituent part of the complete rail. Thisband may most conveniently and properly be made of shirred, india-rubbercloth. Immediately over or on this band is placed a thin strip C, ofwood, iron, inelastic cloth, or any equivalent substance possessingsufficient rmness and strength to serve the purposes of its use, aspresently to be described. This strip forms the third constituent of thecomplete rail. Screws, nails, or their equivalents, d, d, are thendriven down through the strip C, and band B, into the projections b, inthe manner shown, and thus complete the rail. Its application and useare as follows z-One of these rails is to be applied both at the headand at the foot, of the bedstead, or at each side, if it is preferred tohave the slats eX- tend crosswise, rather than lengthwise, of thebedstead. As stated above, they may be applied, either as the rails ofthe bedstead proper, or by being placed upon said rails, or by beingconnected in a bed-frame, as shown in the drawings. The ends of theslats D, D, are then inserted between the band B, and strip O,respectively over the notches a, a., in the manner shown in thedrawings, the band B, stretching so as to admit the `ends of the slats,but drawing them closely up to the strip O, which holds them in place.In order that the slats may not work out of place endwise, notches c, c,may be cut in the ends, on the under side, so as to form tenons, asrepresented. The band' B, thus furnishes an excellent elastic support toeach slat D, separately, while, being in a single piece, the expense andlabor of separate fastenings for many elastic supports are avoided. Ityields, when pressure is applied on the slats, as indicated under theslats marked D, D', in Figs. 3, and t. The screws or nails, CZ, 0l, holdthe band at each supporting projection b, respectively, so that eachportion of the band over its notch a, is independent of, anduniniiuenced by, the rest of the band, and of the pressure applied toit.

The rail part A, is quickly and cheaply made as described; and it offersthe advantages, over any other arrangement, of furnishing guides to theslats D, D, by the projections Z), b, at the sides, so that they can notbe swayed out of their proper positions;

and the bottoms of the notches a, a, serve as limits to the extent towhich the slats may be depressed, and prevent the breaking of the bandB, should unusual weight be placed on the bed, and serve also assupports to the slats under such circumstances. Otherwise, the slatsmight be depressed much too far; or, if the band should break, the wholewould fall to the floor.

The strip C, serves to hold the band B, firmly in place, to prevent thefastenings CZ, el, tearing out, to keep the slats D, D, 1n place, and,if made of iron, wood, or other rigid material, especially, tostrengthen and brace the rail part A.

I do not claim the employment of a stretched elastic band supported, atintervals, by projecting pins, or their equivalents, on Which to placethe bed or slats; such being liable to objections which my improvedarrangement obviates. But I limit my inof the notched rail piece A,stretched elastic band B, and conining or cap-strip C, arranged,combined, and operating in the manner and for the purpose hereinspecified.

In Witness that the above is a true speciication of my elastic-supportbedstead rail,V

I hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of March 1858. f

CHARLES ROBINSON. Witnesses:

HENRY THAYER, E. W. Conny.

